Read Online Rise by Jennifer Anne Davis - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jennifer Anne Davis
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What are you getting at?”
Staring up at the ceiling, I was certain the first night Morlet contacted me, I hadn’t been touching Anders. In fact, we’d been on opposite sides of the fire. Tonight, given our close proximity in the cave, we could have been inadvertently touching while we slept.
“When you were gone, I had another dream about Morlet.” Anders stiffened but didn’t say anything. “Only, I’m not sure it was a dream. I think he is somehow communicating with me.”
“That’s impossible,” he said with an air of certainty. Perhaps in his quest to aid the Krigers, Anders had access to information about the king that the average person did not.
“Do you know anything about Morlet?”
“A little.”
“What about his birth name?”
“What about it?” he asked, his voice unnaturally calm, making my skin prickle.
“Is it Espen?”
Anders rolled over and grabbed my upper arms. “What did you say?” he demanded, squeezing me so tightly it hurt.
“Let go!” I yelled, struggling to pull free.
His eyes widened, and he jerked back, releasing me. Instead of apologizing, he asked, “How do you know his birth name is Espen?”
Rubbing my arms, I sat up and replied, “He told me, right before he said something was blocking our connection. Then I woke up, and you were here with the medallion.”
“He’s never communicated with any of the other Krigers.” Running his hands through his hair, he looked uncertain. “This changes things,” he mumbled as he sat up. “What else did he say to you?”
“He wanted to know where I was. He … he did something to me. He forced me to tell him I was in a cave in the forest, but I didn’t reveal anything about you.”
Anders slammed his hand on the ground and yelled, “Why don’t you just wave a flag, announcing our location?”
“Seems like you’re already doing that with your outburst. Keep your voice down.” Anders huffed. “Besides,” I continued, “Morlet used his powers on me. I couldn’t stop myself from answering him.”
“I guess it’s a good thing I got here in time to save you. Again.”
Rage filled me, and I clambered to my knees, ready to wrap my hands around his neck when I remembered the prick on my back. “You used your sleeping potion on me.” He could have killed me.
“Hardly any,” Anders said, lying down again, not perceiving me as a threat. “Just a little so you’d stop talking long enough for me to fall asleep.”
“You’re despicable.”
“And you’re a chatty, naive girl.”
Some of my anger evaporated with the truth of his words. As much as my father had taught me about fighting and the politics of Nelebek, I was relatively sheltered. Needing to salvage what little dignity I had left, I said, “If you ever use your poison on me again, I’ll kill you.”
“I’d like to see you try.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
***
Anders handed me some berries.
“No thank you,” I said, ducking under a low branch. “I’m not hungry.”
“You should be starving since you didn’t eat anything for breakfast either.”
I shrugged, surprised he’d even noticed. After eating the stew in my dream, I was full. But I didn’t care to share that information with him.
“There’s a pond up ahead where we can wash.” He smiled. I’d never seen him smile. “Come on.” He started to jog.
I glanced around wondering where the moody, insufferable Anders had gone.
“Hurry up!” he yelled.
I ran after him as he sprinted between the dense trees. He stopped before a good-sized pond that had steam billowing off it.
“What’s that smell?” I asked, scrunching my nose.
“The water is heated from the earth.” Anders peeled off his sweater and started untying his pants.
“Um,” I mumbled, “would you like me to keep watch while you clean up?”
“No,” he answered. “I want you where I can see you. Just face the other way.”
With my back to him, I heard him undress and enter the
Staring up at the ceiling, I was certain the first night Morlet contacted me, I hadn’t been touching Anders. In fact, we’d been on opposite sides of the fire. Tonight, given our close proximity in the cave, we could have been inadvertently touching while we slept.
“When you were gone, I had another dream about Morlet.” Anders stiffened but didn’t say anything. “Only, I’m not sure it was a dream. I think he is somehow communicating with me.”
“That’s impossible,” he said with an air of certainty. Perhaps in his quest to aid the Krigers, Anders had access to information about the king that the average person did not.
“Do you know anything about Morlet?”
“A little.”
“What about his birth name?”
“What about it?” he asked, his voice unnaturally calm, making my skin prickle.
“Is it Espen?”
Anders rolled over and grabbed my upper arms. “What did you say?” he demanded, squeezing me so tightly it hurt.
“Let go!” I yelled, struggling to pull free.
His eyes widened, and he jerked back, releasing me. Instead of apologizing, he asked, “How do you know his birth name is Espen?”
Rubbing my arms, I sat up and replied, “He told me, right before he said something was blocking our connection. Then I woke up, and you were here with the medallion.”
“He’s never communicated with any of the other Krigers.” Running his hands through his hair, he looked uncertain. “This changes things,” he mumbled as he sat up. “What else did he say to you?”
“He wanted to know where I was. He … he did something to me. He forced me to tell him I was in a cave in the forest, but I didn’t reveal anything about you.”
Anders slammed his hand on the ground and yelled, “Why don’t you just wave a flag, announcing our location?”
“Seems like you’re already doing that with your outburst. Keep your voice down.” Anders huffed. “Besides,” I continued, “Morlet used his powers on me. I couldn’t stop myself from answering him.”
“I guess it’s a good thing I got here in time to save you. Again.”
Rage filled me, and I clambered to my knees, ready to wrap my hands around his neck when I remembered the prick on my back. “You used your sleeping potion on me.” He could have killed me.
“Hardly any,” Anders said, lying down again, not perceiving me as a threat. “Just a little so you’d stop talking long enough for me to fall asleep.”
“You’re despicable.”
“And you’re a chatty, naive girl.”
Some of my anger evaporated with the truth of his words. As much as my father had taught me about fighting and the politics of Nelebek, I was relatively sheltered. Needing to salvage what little dignity I had left, I said, “If you ever use your poison on me again, I’ll kill you.”
“I’d like to see you try.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
***
Anders handed me some berries.
“No thank you,” I said, ducking under a low branch. “I’m not hungry.”
“You should be starving since you didn’t eat anything for breakfast either.”
I shrugged, surprised he’d even noticed. After eating the stew in my dream, I was full. But I didn’t care to share that information with him.
“There’s a pond up ahead where we can wash.” He smiled. I’d never seen him smile. “Come on.” He started to jog.
I glanced around wondering where the moody, insufferable Anders had gone.
“Hurry up!” he yelled.
I ran after him as he sprinted between the dense trees. He stopped before a good-sized pond that had steam billowing off it.
“What’s that smell?” I asked, scrunching my nose.
“The water is heated from the earth.” Anders peeled off his sweater and started untying his pants.
“Um,” I mumbled, “would you like me to keep watch while you clean up?”
“No,” he answered. “I want you where I can see you. Just face the other way.”
With my back to him, I heard him undress and enter the
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